The Justice Department today announced a criminal complaint charging a San Diego man, George Russell Isbell Jr., 69, with mailing a threatening communication to conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
Isbell was arrested on October 7 in San Diego.
According to the complaint, Isbell allegedly mailed a letter from San Diego on or about September 18, threatening to kill Benny Johnson in Tampa, Florida. The letter reportedly stated that the victim needed “to be exterminated” and referenced conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The threatening communication also included disturbing statements such as, “Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!”.
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The letter also expressed a hope that the American flag “strangles the life out of you.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the action, stating, “Thanks to the incredible teamwork between state, local, and federal law enforcement, this coward hiding behind a keyboard was taken into custody and charged federally for mailing threatening communications. We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer.” She added that the arrest should serve as a strong deterrent.
“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate threats of violence like the kind allegedly made by the defendant about a media personality,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system.”
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U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida highlighted the severity of the situation. “Unfortunately, a rise in political threats has been accompanied by a rise in political violence,” Kehoe said. “We take all threats of violence seriously and will continue to respond in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and prosecute the authors of such threatening communications.”
“This guy thought he got away with this, and he thought he could hurt Benny and his family, and it’s not going to happen,” Bondi said. She mentioned that the government has “other open cases” of a similar nature.
If convicted of mailing a threatening communication, Isbell faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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